Some of you will have started receiving letters via Quarriers Charity with regards the “Time to Be Heard Pilot Forum” whereby 100 former Quarriers residents have been invited to participate in the Pilot Forum process.

FBGA welcome the Quarriers' organisation and it Trustees willingness to support the Pilot Forum at this time. FBGA do still have some concerns which we have raised with Tom Shaw and the other Commissioners and we await clarification on a number of issues, including the criteria, definition, and eligibility for access to the Pilot Forum. FBGA say it is Time for Quarriers, its Trustees and all others to Learn the Lessons and resolve these historical abuse issues to the victim-survivors benefit and provide appropriate remedies without further damage to their own Victims.

FBGA wish to support this process by offering some guidance to all those former Quarriers Homes residents who may wish to take part in the Pilot Forum.

Only you can decide what testimony you wish to share with the Commissioners and what documents you may wish to provide the Commissioners in support of your testimony. You may wish to seek independent advice on these issues outlined here.

Documents that may be helpful to the Commissioners include the following suggestions

It may be appropriate to provide documents that are confidential but are proof of you having been a former resident of Quarriers Homes.

Perhaps the front cover of your children's confidential file which should have the dates of entry and any document-page, that has your date of exit from the care of Quarriers Homes.

Perhaps you may wish to prepare a victim statement beforehand, which you can provide to the Commissioners on the day, making the process less traumatic and stressful.

Have you been in a recent Scottish Court case. Then you may wish to provide a copy of the Court conviction document if those who abused you have been convicted in the Scottish Criminal Courts. This can be obtained from your Solicitor who represented many of the Civil Cases. Do you wish to provide the Commissioners a copy of your Police Statement to support your personal testimony and account? Again, it is your decision!

Did you have a medical report prepared for the Court process, perhaps you may wish to share this with the Commissioners a copy can be obtained from your solicitor.

Should you provide a copy of your full Quarriers Children's file: This is a decision only you can make - remember this children's file was written by carers and others including former management of Quarriers Homes who had total control over you. Remember also that you had no input into the past children's files contents whatsoever.

Are there issues in your confidential children's file which you dispute? Perhaps you may wish to raise this with the Commissioners.

Perhaps provide only basic information from the Children's File - remember it is your decision, you may wish to consider that this is a confidential children's file in Law.

Do you have a copy of a past School report from Quarriers Homes?

Would you like to provide a full copy of this to the Commissioners, or perhaps only the basic information, it is for you to decide.

Do you wish to share confidential medical information from your GP medical notes or other confidential medical information that supports your testimony?

Only you can make this decision. Our advice is seek advice before hand.

Have you contributed to the Tom Shaw report in the past?

Perhaps you may wish to provide the Commissioners a copy of your past testimony? Again, it is your decision what you share and provide.

Did you report any type of abuse while in the past Quarriers care? Did the carers and organisation listen and take action? What actually happened? Perhaps you may wish to share your personal and relatives experiences with the Commissioners.

Perhaps you may wish to share such information in confidence with the Commissioners.

Have the Quarriers organisation inflicted more damage on the Victims by there stance to-date? Can you speak in confidence to the Commissioners about what has affected you and your family personally by your experiences before and after your time in-care in Quarriers?

Has the abuse you reported while in the organisation's care been recorded in your Children's file? Normally those in power you reported to will not have recorded your account if it relates to past Quarriers carers or management. It is not likely to be recorded in your file. You can ask why? Can a note be placed on the children's files of your testimony?

Did you report or suffer abusive and inappropriate behaviour perpetrated by other children while in-care? Perhaps you may wish to share such information with the Commissioners.

What do you wish individually and collectively from the Pilot Forum Processes?

Do you wish to represent a sibling or relative in the process who may be incapacitated, infirm, or deceased?

Do you seek Acknowledgement Accountability, Redress, Reparation, Long term Support and Help? Is it something else? You may share this with the Commissioners in confidence.

Can you make decisions for yourself and without undue interference or influence by others?

Do you feel happy and secure to say to the Commissioners what it is you actually wish for you and your family - Is it full reparation and redress?

What outcomes or remedies do you wish or seek for you and your family affected by your past time in-care in Quarriers Homes?

Is what you are requesting going to benefit or impact on other former residents from other care institutions who may engage with the Pilot Forum and have outcomes that benefit not only Quarriers victim-survivors but all victim-survivors of Scotland's past in-care abuse?

Is a proper full inquiry and investigation really the only way to ensure that the Quarriers Charity today is actually “Fit For Purpose” in caring for individuals today.

Did you suffer intimidation or victimisation by other former Quarriers Residents and others for reporting abuse to the Police and going to Court? Were you targeted simply because you chose to tell the Truth about your past time in care in Quarriers Homes? If so you may wish to inform the Commissioners of such matters in confidence.

Did you feel supported by the Justice system when you came forward?

What has been your experiences to-date concerning all or any of the processes?

What about any dealings you may have had with Quarrriers as an organisation to-date, as a victim of abuse in its past organisation. Were Quarriers sympathetic and supportive? Did you feel believed? Did you contact the Quarriers after-care service? Did you report abuse to them, and what did they do? How did the current Quarriers staff treat and deal with you at the time? You may wish to share this with the Commissioners in confidence.

Have we all heard or assumed in the past that Quarriers Homes was a caring and protective care establishment - Only for abuse to be taking place in the organisation at the time.

Is it wholly Accurate and Truthful to say that the Pilot Forum will help protect children in-care in the future without any proper inquiry or full investigation into the past abuse issues concerning the Quarriers organisation?

Quarriers agents have in their possession medical reports which they requested from their victims who attended a False Memory Expert, Dr Janet Boakes, at the organisations request. Have you asked yourselves the following:

Should Quarriers provide a copy of Dr Boakes medical reports on individuals to the Commissioners, saving the victims further anxiety and trauma?

What are the Quarriers organisation and its Trustees doing in this process for their own victims to help resolve the issues to the benefit of the victim-survivors without causing further damage to their victims? What are the outcomes and remedies for Victims in this Pilot Forum process?

As Quarriers former residents are being requested to participate in this Pilot Forum 1st, and this Pilot Forum's outcomes will be evaluated.

It is also important for FBGA and the Quarriers Victims that the Pilot Process is fully credible, rigorous and fair and upholds everyone's “Rights” equally regardless in such a Pilot Forum process and any future processes. That everyone, including the Commissioners administering all the processes including the Pilot Forum, do their utmost to prevent individuals from being falsely accused, tainted or tarnished in the processes.

Any false allegations or claims made by individuals will tarnish & taint all the genuine victim-survivors and decent past Quarriers Homes carers and others. FBGA would request that it is imperative that all former residents of Quarriers Homes to be wholly truthful and speak with candour in relation to their testimonies they may provide to the Commissioners concerning their time in-care or events in relation to Quarriers Homes.

FBGA recognise fully that many former residents who were in the past care of Quarriers Homes also had some positive experiences in its past care including some individuals who were abused and who have been through the Scottish Criminal Court process.

FBGA wish to make it clear to ALL. FBGA have no say or input into the Pilot Forum's outcomes and any final report nor deliberations, we provide this guidance on that basis.

FBGA support fully the Scottish Human Rights Commission's recommendations into these historical abuse issues concerning Scotland. FBGA request that these are implemented in full forthwith by the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government.

FBGA continue to call for a Full Inquiry into the Quarriers past historical abuse issues and culture. FBGA believe that this is the only way to ensure that those cared for in the future by Quarriers Charity will be safe and protected as demonstrated around the world. Can you lend support to these Aims & Objectives in addition to supporting & seeking the following for ALL genuine Victim-survivors of Scotland:

“FBGA call for Justice, Accountability, Acknowledgement, Restitution, and Reparation for all genuine True Victim-survivors of historical in-care abuse in Scotland.”